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The ANZ Business of The Year Awards celebrate business success within the Ashbuton District.

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Our Category Partners 2026

Welcome to our partners for ANZ Business of The Year 2026

Become an Event Partner

The ANZ Business of The Year Awards for the Ashburton District endeavour to celebrate excellence and give our high achieving businesses a pat on the back for their creativity and passion.

Launch night 2024

Our Categories

The award categories have been expanded for 2026, following feedback from the 109 entrants in the 2026 awards.

Category winners and a supreme winner will be announced at the gala dinner on Friday 20th February 2026, at the aviation museum’s huge superhangar.

The awards will acknowledge this sector diversity, with several categories on offer including Supreme Business Excellence and Future Business Leader, and nominations will be open to all businesses of any size within the Ashburton District.

Catalyst Performance Agronomy

Category Partner for Excellence in Primary Industries

ANZ

Naming Partner - Business of the Year Awards

Mt Hutt

Category Partner - Excellence in Retail & Hospitality

EVENT TICKETS 2026

Service Partners

Thanks to our event service partners for their support

0064 3 307 7700

5 Baring Square West,
Ashburton 7700

Latest news

Ashburton district event wins prestigious national award!

September 8, 2024

Mid Canterbury’s event management and promotions company Rí Rá Events, working in partnership with the Ashburton District Council has picked up a prestigious New Zealand Events Association (NZEA) award for, “Best Local Government Event” for their production of the ANZ Business of The Year Awards 2024. Rí Rá Events attended the NZEA awards gala dinner in Palmerston North on Tuesday 27 th August to collect the award. The event also received “special mention” in the “Best Business Event” category on the evening. The ANZ Business of The Year Awards was held in February 2024 at the Ashburton Aviation Museum and 375 guests attended the gala awards dinner. The overall objective of the event was to promote the Ashburton District as a great place to do business. Rí Rá events have already commenced work on the 2026 Business of the Year Awards event welcoming ANZ Bank onboard once again for the journey. Speaking about the awards, director Colm McGrath said, “We’re delighted to win a New Zealand Event Association Award for this event. We believe it proves that Mid Canterbury can and does deliver great events. It was a pleasure to work with the economic development and events team from Ashburton District Council on this project” Rí Rá events & Ashburton District Council were shortlisted as finalists in July and competed against the following events, Local Wild Food Festival, Whakatāne District Council, Taste Hastings, Hastings District Council , TSB Festival of Lights Winter Pop Up, New Plymouth District Council and Waitangi Day 2024, Porirua City to win this award. Founded in 2019 by two Irish kiwis, Gary Manning & Colm McGrath Rí Rá Events produces and promotes events predominantly in the Mid Canterbury region. It’s key clients include The Embassy of Ireland, The Ashburton District Council, ANZ Bank, Ashburton Toyota and The New Zealand Law Society. The phase Rí Rá roughly translates from Gaeilge to English as ‘fun’.

ANZ Business of The Year Awards 2024 Event has been shortlisted as finalists for the 2024 NZEA Awards

July 8, 2024

The ANZ Business of the Year Awards, a joint venture between Ashburton District Council & Ri Ra Events has been shortlisted as a finalist for Best Business Event and Best Local Government Event in the New Zealand Event Industry Awards 2024.

EVENT TICKETS - 2026

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